As the nation's attention turns back to the fractured debate over immigration, it might be helpful to remember that in 1986, Ronald Reagan signed a sweeping immigration reform bill into law. It was sold as a crackdown: There would be tighter security at the Mexican border, and employers would face strict penalties for hiring undocumented workers.

But the bill also made any immigrant who'd entered the country before 1982 eligible for amnesty  a word not usually associated with the father of modern conservatism.

In his renewed push for an immigration overhaul this week, President Obama called for Republican support for a bill to address the growing population of illegal immigrants in the country. This time, however, Republicans know better than to tread near the politically toxic A-word.

Part of this aversion is due to what is widely seen as the failure of Reagan's 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. However, one of the lead authors of the bill says that unlike most immigration reform efforts of the past 20 years, amnesty wasn't the pitfall.

"We used the word 'legalization,' " former Wyoming Sen. Alan K. Simpson tells NPR's Guy Raz. "And everybody fell asleep lightly for a while, and we were able to do legalization."

The law granted amnesty to nearly 3 million illegal immigrants, yet was largely considered unsuccessful because the strict sanctions on employers were stripped out of the bill for passage.

Simpson says the amnesty provision actually saved the act from being a total loss. "It's not perfect, but 2.9 million people came forward. If you can bring one person out of an exploited relationship, that's good enough for me."

Reagan And Amnesty

Nowadays, conservative commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh often invoke the former president as a champion of the conservative agenda. Sean Hannity of Fox News even has a regular segment called "What Would Reagan Do?"

Simpson, however, sees a different person in the president he called a "dear friend."

Reagan "knew that it was not right for people to be abused," Simpson says. "Anybody who's here illegally is going to be abused in some way, either financially [or] physically. They have no rights."

Peter Robinson, a former Reagan speechwriter, agrees. "It was in Ronald Reagan's bones  it was part of his understanding of America  that the country was fundamentally open to those who wanted to join us here."

Reagan said as much himself in a televised debate with Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale in 1984.

"I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally," he said.

By Reagan's own accounting, Simpson pestered him about this bill for five long years. God only knows what interests the old ratbastard phoney was serving at the expense of his president. (You think it was a coincidence that obama hauled his senile ass out of obscurity to serve on the "debt reduction" panel?)

Of course, the bill as signed was complete with safeguards which were then ignored. Simpson knows this but has been a degenerate liar so long he may actually have come to believe his own lies.

30 million + illegals only contribute to the growth of government. After all, congressional districts are set based on census numbers and comes to somewhere in the range of 50 congressional seats that need not exist.

A vote for amnesty is a vote for a permanent democrat majority and is frankly treasonous.

8
posted on 11/23/2011 12:51:09 PM PST
by cripplecreek
(Stand with courage or shut up and do as you're told.)

It provided a safety release valve for Salavadorean society, which was torn in a conflict between oligarchists and Communists. I believe that our amnesty was a major factor in turning the tide against the Communists.

The influx of so many hard-working people turned the tide in many inner cities. However their children got co-opted by ghetto culture and drug dealing resulting in the Maratuchas and other gangs.

Many times our choice is between two bad options...

12
posted on 11/23/2011 12:55:28 PM PST
by kenavi
(1% of the 1% were born in the 1%.)

Actually, it does mention that in the article if you go to the link. I didn’t post the entire article. I agree with your 5 bullet points. Just tired of watching all the zealots around here demanding perfection from every candidate. They all have flaws. Who will do the best job saving America?

"First, our cities will not be flooded with a million immigrants annually. Under the proposed bill, the present level of immigration remains substantially the same. Secondly, the ethnic mix of this country will not be upset. Contrary to the charges in some quarters, (the Immigration Reform Act) will not inundate America with immigrants from any one country or area, or the most populated and deprived nations of Africa and Asia. In the final analysis, the ethnic pattern of immigration under the proposed measure is not expected to change as sharply as the critics seem to think. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs."

16
posted on 11/23/2011 12:59:35 PM PST
by re_nortex
(DP...that's what I like about Texas.)

Illegal immigration is a huge issue, ditto for foreign policy, a role often overlooked in presidential politics when in fact, the role of POTUS is really Commander-in-Chief. Don't count Michele Bachmann down and out either.

“The law granted amnesty to nearly 3 million illegal immigrants, yet was largely considered unsuccessful because the strict sanctions on employers were stripped out of the bill for passage. “ It’s in the part I posted, sorry.

Ronald Reagan did make a few mistakes. We should not base future decisions on them. The people have sp9oken loud and clearly, NO AMNESTY! With Newt buying Hispanic votes, he is no different than Obama in my book.

23
posted on 11/23/2011 1:07:28 PM PST
by Paperdoll
(quences of their misgivings.)

I remember the very day hearing on CNN about Reagan’s amnesty passing. Loved Reagan, but thought it was a terrible, terrible mistake. Indeed it was. Even more than I could have ever imagined back then. Another amnesty will be the end of the country for good.

Yeah, after several decades of consuming “News,” I am skeptical of certain sources. Dan Rather and NPR are at the top of any historic list of questionable sources. Believe them if you wish. Without independent verification, I don’t.

“I don’t see how the party that says it’s the party of the family, is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter century,” the former House Speaker said. “And I’m prepared to take the heat for saying ‘let’s be humane and enforce the law without giving them citizenship but by finding a way to create legality so they are not separate from their families.’”
That is not as extreme as what Reagan said in 84. Create legality, not give them citizenship. Get the difference?

Right now, I don’t think we have anything close to an ideal ticket or an ideal candidate. I think I’m very thankful for Thanksgiving this year and I wish you and your family blessed and very happy Thanksgiving!

Leaving this primary season and politics off my table! I’ll actually be glad to watch football games! LOL.

the only thing RR did wrong was to trust democrats to honor their word. Kinda like the current leaders hoping the democrats would deal in good faith on the “stuper committee”. Trust the democrats as far as you can throw Nadler.

Anyone that thinks the democrats will even act in good faith gets the failure they deserve.

the former House Speaker said. And Im prepared to take the heat for saying lets be humane and enforce the law without giving them citizenship but by finding a way to create legality so they are not separate from their families.

Sounds like amnesty. They get to stay, their crime is forgiven and no doubt they keep drawing entitlement benefits to boot. Probably get to vote too.

So, what part of being a citizen do they not have? The responsibility and accountability?

37
posted on 11/23/2011 1:29:59 PM PST
by TigersEye
(Life is about choices. Your choices. Make good ones.)

This tells only half the story. The 1986 bill included a number of provisions that would have radically reduced the number of illegals coming here: that was the bargain Reagan drove: amnesty for certain illegals, and Congress was going to impose measures that would curtail the continued invasion. But it didn’t work, and it didn’t work for two reasons: 1) Reagan failed to realize the Congress was (is) unscrupulous and had no intention of living up to the enforcement and border security parts of the deal and 2) Reagan failed to remember that you get more of any kind of behavior that you reward. Total FAIL.

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